American Red Cross officials are encouraging Jackson residents to donate blood and platelets during the holiday season, when the nonprofit typically sees a decline in donations. Andrew Kuhn | MLive.com

JACKSON, MI – American Red Cross officials are encouraging Jackson-area residents to donate blood and platelets during this holiday season, a time when the nonprofit typically sees a decline in donations.

People busy with out-of-town family members, children home from school and the cold weather are just some of the reasons for the decline, said Sheila Drewry, donor recruitment representative for the Red Cross.

“Then there are those holiday heroes that come out in a blizzard,” she said. “We have a lot of faith ones in Jackson. It’s just a matter of if we get enough (donations).”

On average, the Red Cross has to collect 15,000 pints of blood every day to meet the needs of patients at about 2,700 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide, according to the nonprofit. Blood donations are used to treat cancer patients, trauma victims, premature infants and those living with chronic blood diseases.

The great thing about Jackson is that people normally step up when there is a need, Drewry said.

Red Cross officials hope to collect at least 138 units of blood – enough to save up to 414 lives – in the next four blood drives in the Jackson area.

The Red Cross tries to offer incentives to encourage more people to donate. Right now, the nonprofit is teaming up with Dunkin Donuts to offer donors a free 2-ounce brick of coffee and a coupon redeemable for a free pound of coffee.

“We’re trying to do anything we can to get people to donate,” Drewry said.